Man charged in Williston homicide

WILLISTON, N.D. – Prosecutors here have charged a man with murder in connection with the death of a man whose body was found east of Williston under a mattress.

Williston police believe Tovias Cerna Carrillo, 48, shot and killed Juan L. Palacios, 51, on Jan. 18 or 19 in Williston, court records say. Palacios had been reported as a missing person and his last known location was a Williston trailer court.

A body believed to be Palacios was found by authorities 13 miles east of Williston on N.D. Highway 1804, Williston police said in a news release.

Carrillo was charged Wednesday in Northwest Judicial District Court with murder, a Class AA felony.

Williams County prosecutors also charged Carrillo this week with two counts of terrorizing, both Class C felonies. Court records allege that Carrillo threatened to kill Pablo Ramon Figueroa on or about Dec. 9 in Williston and threatened to kill Oscar Nunez between Jan. 24 and 25 in Williston.

Carrillo is being held in the Williams County Jail on $1 million bond.

Williston Police Detective David Peterson declined to comment further on the case.